Wars with your Kingdom Hearts? That’s the question posed to gamers as they
enter the wonderful world of Rogue Galaxy. It’s a magical RPG and an addictive
action game rolled into one.
The story, characters and
scenarios have tiny hints of Star Wars. The awesome,
give-me-just-one-more-battle gameplay comes from the creators of Dark Cloud
(one of many unique action/RPGs inspired by Zelda 64) but has more in common
with the Disney and Square Enix masterpiece series, Kingdom Hearts. You’ll be
jumping, slashing, and shooting to eliminate dozens of lethal creatures,
amounting to hundreds of rewarding skirmishes.
Galaxy Quest
A young man’s dream to
leave his home planet comes true when a lethal beast breaks into his home
village. Several smaller beasts tag along, kicking off the game’s combat
system. Windows pop up every time a new move is introduced to explain how it’s
executed – they’re clear, concise, and can be passed over quickly by pressing
the start button.
The young man’s name is
Jaster, and on his way to defeat the beast, the boy encounters a mysterious
warrior. He coaches him a little, leads him through the village and
conveniently exits before two other characters are introduced: a talking robot
and an obese alien. The warrior tosses Jaster his uber-powerful sword, which
doesn’t make much sense until the robot starts to scan Jaster’s body. The scan
picks up the weapon – one of seven Sacred Galactic Swords – as well as who it
belongs to: Desert Claw.
The two clowns come to
the conclusion that, if this man has the sword, then he must be Desert Claw.
They urge Jaster to join forces with them, promising fortune and boundless
trips across the galaxy. Money doesn’t mean a lot to Jaster, but exploring the
galaxy – that meant everything. He’s dreamt of going into space since he was a
young boy. He couldn’t say no. The offer was too good to resist.
As a premise, Rogue
Galaxy doesn’t come out as well as Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. And while
its story is comparable to many of the Dragon Quest titles, its depth or
sophistication is nowhere near the Final Fantasy series. That said, what you
are about to embark on is a journey you’ll remember for a long time. Rogue
Galaxy’s story is not its single most powerful driving force – the thing that
guarantees you’ll be there till the credits roll. But you will enjoy the saga,
and you will want to be there till the end.
Warning: Combat May Be
Habit-Forming
Rogue Galaxy’s real-time
combat isn’t fresh, but the work that went into perfecting its mechanics is
very refreshing. Battles are random and can occur anywhere outside a
well-guarded village. Most areas aren’t safe. To get a break you’ll have to
enter a home or shop. Outside of the times when your party is nearly facing
death, a break will be the last thing on your mind. There’s a lengthy quest to
embark on, with countless missions that’ll send players all over the galaxy.
Combat is true to the
Dark Cloud / Kingdom Hearts formula: fast, free-roaming, and has very few
limitations. The speedy, reliable controls and easy-to-manage camera are the
source of this game’s force. Battles are fun because of the control system.
They avoid most of the repetition issues that plague RPGs by having a changing
array of enemies and boss battles, some of which can’t be beaten with brute
force alone.
One boss forces you to
use a special weapon that forms a walkway to the weak spot on the monster’s
back. The boss after that requires the use of a freeze gun to stop it from
moving. While moving the monster is impervious to attacks; when frozen, you’re
able to penetrate his flesh.
During a random encounter
you’ll see bees that strike high and low (jump to reach them), giant
shell-covered insects (knock ‘em over to attack their weak bellies), and
scorpions that are almost resistant to your attacks. Booby-trap chests unleash
a horrific beast that, if you’re unprepared, will cause the “Game Over” screen
to appear in less than 20 seconds. They attack relentlessly and are most
dangerous up close. Jaster’s most lethal assaults come from his sword. Attack
too zealously and you’re toast. Proceed a little more cautiously (and think
about projectiles – use his gun!) and you might have a shot.
Guerrillas roll like
Donkey Kong for a potent opener. Shield-protected plants have a natural
defense mechanism that fights off attackers. But if you jump on top of them (a
move Link and Sora could never get away with), their leafy shell will
open up, revealing their vulnerable interior.
Backtracking is a fairly
frequent occurrence in Rogue Galaxy, which is why you’ll find teleportation
spots all around the world. You can save there, cash in battle points (earned
for defeating certain enemies and for completing random challenges like
“defeat all enemies in under 20 seconds”), and of course, teleport to previous
locations. Battle points increase your rank as a warrior. By using a
teleportation station to go back to an old locale, you’ll be shaving hours of
additional walk time – and eliminate several unnecessary battles. (Conclusion:
goodbye repetition.)
Revelation Flow is the
name of Rogue Galaxy’s character evolution system. EXP increases individual
stats, but you’ll need more than battle wins to learn new techniques. Each
character has a chart of interlocking upgrades and abilities that are unlocked
by permanently equipping specific items. Once equipped, the item can’t be
removed. Most have duplicates and are found in chests or won in battle. Some
are also up for sale at specific shops. Expect limited quantities. Health
items may be plentiful, but most shops only carry a few of the Revelation Flow
pieces.
Up to three characters
may join your party at any given time, one of which will be under your
control. The other two may be guided with predetermined settings and by
selecting a specific move as various actions become available during battle.
The roster of characters that extends past your three party members may be
changed at almost any point in the game, so long as the story permits. Party
members are interchangeable at any time during battle.
When you go to change a
character or use an ability or item, the game pauses until the selection is
made. This steps away from the real-time aspect, but it’s a good feature. It
gives us a chance to strategize, an option you wouldn’t have in a straight
action game.
The only limit worth
noting is that characters must rest after performing a certain number of
attacks (or other actions, such as abilities or using items). You can dodge
attacks during the rest period, and hold down the R1 button (which makes your
character block) to speed up the process. This element wasn’t really
necessary, but it doesn’t harm the combat in any way – it just makes it a
little more complicated. I can only assume that’s why the developers added
this feature. They may have also thought that without it the game would seem
too much like Devil May Cry, whose star Dante can attack repeatedly.
Rogue Galaxy is a
beautiful, lengthy, and engrossing action/RPG. Level-5 has outdone themselves
this time, creating another memorable adventure worth completing, and a
brand-new series to bring to PlayStation 3.
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Gameplay: 9.1
Action
role-playing that rivals the Kingdom Hearts series, Rogue Galaxy is an
out-of-this-world masterpiece. The addiction level can’t be beat – the last
non-Square Enix RPG to have this much replay value was Disgaea 2, which was
released over six months ago. Before that, it’s hard to come up with any that
weren’t produced by Level-5. Their trademark Zelda-inspired combat has been
enhanced to levels that go way beyond the Dark Cloud series.
Graphics: 8.4
Beautiful and
inventive environments that are a joy to explore. Almost every location feels
different. The cel-shading effect (for characters only) is subtle but very
well done. Movie clips help the story grow, and while some are CG, the
transition from game to cinema is practically seamless. My only complaints go
to the mouth movements, which are all but nonexistent, and the bosses, whose
cartoon appearance makes them less intimidating.
Sound: 8.5
A wonderful and
immersive soundtrack backed by high-quality voice-overs.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
There are moments
of surprise – times when you’ll be caught off guard and fall victim to a beast
whose strength you underestimated. But Rogue Galaxy follows the golden rule
for RPGs: level up and everything is easy.
Concept: 7.9
Rogue Galaxy
isn’t an innovative or entirely original RPG – but it is an action/RPG done
right. More than right, actually. The combat and Revelation Flow upgrade
system are a blast. Gamers will play this one for hours and not want to quit.
Overall: 8.8
Rogue Galaxy is a
don’t-miss adventure. The combat alone is so engrossing and rewarding that it
won’t be long before you realize that this is a game you just have to
finish. You’ll love every part of it – the action-filled combat, the
dream-driven plot, and every polygon of the gorgeous graphics. It’s not just
one element that’ll consume you – it’s the entire package.
